Colleagues? Friends? Rivals? Partners? Lovers?
by CubeEscape
Summary: AU: Mihael Keehl aka Mello was the best detective in the town until a newbie came. Who is he? Would they get along eventually? Rated T for safety. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**I've never written any AU before, but I decided to give it a shot. I hope that it's not too bad. So, please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.**

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Mello just stood there, in front of his apartment's door, staring at the daily newspaper. The twenty-five-blonde was angry, very angry. **'What the fuck'** s were written all over his face. He kept repeating one question in his brain.

 _WHO the hell is Near?_

Oh, I forgot! Where was my manner? The said young man is Mihael Keehl (but he preferred to be called Mello): blonde, hot-headed, chocoholic, leather lover,... He was a quite popular, well-known private detective. People admired Mello for his intelligence, girls were head over heels for him because of his 'handsomeness' (seriously, with sun-liked hair and sapphire eyes, who wouldn't?), and criminal were afraid of Mello because of his appearance: he looked exactly like a gangster with the scar on his face, his tight leather attire and the gun. No one could tell who he was until he arrested someone.

Mello was the best detective in this town until last week. People and the press kept saying about a newbie: mysterious, talented, gifted,...things like that. Maybe young. He had solved some tough cases. Nobody knew his face or his real name or his age,...in short, his identity. Even his clients and the polices didn't know who he is because he always covered his face with black hoodie and surgical mask. All they knew that he called himself Near...

Mello didn't care about those informations. The real problem was this little twit. He suddenly came out of nowhere, took Mello's spot and his clients and his glory and...and...UGH! That fucking asshole. Mello didn't like being second best, no siree. He'd been working too hard for this position, he wouldn't give in. Mello had to find this twat and teach him a lesson, no matter what it takes.

But first, he needed some chocolate.

So, the blonde left his apartment, located in 21 Wammy Street, and head to his favourite cafe.

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 _Ah here is it, The Laura._

Mello walked into the small shop. He liked this place: cosy and quiet, especially on Sunday like today (the funny thing that Mello also liked screamo music). And the hot chocolate here was awesome. He sat at the small wooden table in the corner (his usual spot). A few minutes later, a young woman walked up to him.

"Hello Mello. Like usual, right?" She smiled kindly at the blonde.

"You know me too well, Laura." Mello smiled back at her. She took his order and left. Laura was thirty. She had long black hair and a motherlike smile. She's kind, gentle, indulgent and wise. Laura was back with Mello's hot chocolate and marshmallows. He nodded as a 'thank you' and silently took a sip. Laura stood there, watching him.

"So, what's wrong?" She broke the silence.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'?" Mello scowled. He hated when Laura turned on the 'mother-mode'.

"Sweetie, you've never been silent like this since I knew you, even if it's because of some hard cases. So tell me, and don't lie, because if you do, I'll know."

"I..." Mello sighed and handed Laura the newspaper. "Just read this!" She took it.

"So what?"

"What the fuck! 'So what'! Laura, this dickhead snatched everything out of my hand, and I don't even know who he is. He took everything. I swear, if I-" Laura cut him off.

"Language, Mello. Honey, you are overreacting. I mean, you're a detective, he's a detective. What's the point in competing? You guys do this to save people's life, remember? Beside, you're 25, stop being immature." With that, Laura left. Mello just sitting there, thinking.

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The blonde came home after 2 hours, still frustrated. He saw some new furniture and a small boy, who was standing in front of the apartment opposite to his own.

The boy was short, small, around seventeen (Mello thought) and WHITE: white hair, white skin, white pyjamas, white socks, WHITE everything. He looked like a ghost. Mello approached him.

"Hey kid, you moving in, right?" The boy turned around and Mello was stunned.

His eyes: so grey, so deep, so wide, so bottomless, so...blank. Mello could feel those orbs looking straight into...no...through his very soul. The albino stared at him for a moment before replying in monotone.

"To answer your question: Yes, I'm moving in. And no, I'm not a kid. In fact, I'm twenty-three." Mello was surprised. Twenty-three? Had he reached his puberty? The younger male then twirled a white lock with his skinny index finger and thumb.

"You're Mihael Keehl." A statement. Mello wasn't surprised this time. He's popular, after all. But he must admit: this boy was bright. People often took a good amount of time to recognize him.

"Smartass. Not so talkative, are you?" The blonde smirked.

"..."

"Anyway, from this moment, call me Mello, okay? Nice to meet you." Mello extended his hand. Again, the white-haired boy stared in his extended hand before grabbed it and shook. Grey locked with blue.

"Nate River. Nice to meet you too, Mello."

 _Very interesting._

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 **A/N: chapter one, done. What do you think? Please leave some reviews, 'cause your opinion helps me to write better :)))**


	2. Chapter 2

Do you know what people's reaction was when they saw Mello? Well, they would keep their distance from him, and then stare and whisper. Mello didn't care, though. With the big scar on his face and his leather attire, he wasn't surprised. He was used to it anyway. But this Nate boy was impressive and...strange, to be honest. Mello couldn't find anything in Nate's actions when they first met. He reflected nothing, just standing there and observing with his abyss-liked eyes... eyes that saw everything...

In fact, Mello was furious. Never in his life had he felt so helpless, like now. Nate made Mello curious. It'd been two weeks since Nate moved in, yet Mello couldn't understand him, couldn't learned anything about him. How the fuck could someone who was capable of talking talk so little in one day? Whenever Mello met Nate, the younger male just gave him a monotonous 'Good morning, Mello' or 'Goodbye, Mello' or 'Good night, Mello' with his infamous emotionless face. And seriously, what's wrong with his sense of fashion? How many white pyjamas did he have? Jesus..

What Mello didn't know that he was interesting to Nate. The blonde was the most emotional individual Nate had ever met. He pretty sure that Mello was led by his emotions. Yet at the same time, he was a well-known detective, with his high IQ and his logical mind. And come on, how many detective wore leather from head to toe and ate chocolate while solving a case in this world? Mello was something complex and that fascinated Nate.

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Mello was walking to The Laura. It was a nice Sunday with the sun, winds and birds, and a glass full of hot chocolate would complete his day. Mello decided to forget about Nate and that fucking newbie, just for a day.

He entered the shop and went for his usual spot, only to find a bunch of white was sitting there...

Nate... how coincidental. The younger male was sitting beside the window, a book in his delicate hands and a cup of black coffee on the wooden table in front of him. He still wore his oversized white pyjamas, and seem to be completely lost in his book, his mind, his own world. And the light made him glowed gently, like the moon...

He looked so...angelic.

Mello shook his head and approached Nate.

"Yo." Nate looked up from his book, seeming unsurprised, his face was calm and blank, as usual.

"Hello, Mello." Nate greeted, monotonous.

"Never think that you like going outside, or drinking coffee, or outdoor activities." Mello smirked.

"I discovered this place a week ago, then I realized that I quite love it." Nate admitted softly.

"Why?"

"It's cosy and quiet..."

 _You too?_

"..."

"So, 'The silence of the lambs', huh?" Mello sat down on the opposite chair, observing Nate's book.

"You're correct."

"Who are you interested in?"

"Hannibal Lecter."

"An impressive character."

"Yes. I always wonder what his motivation was, when he killed people."

"I think that he just loved killing people. He found satisfaction in murdering. He just simply loved it."

"Lecter is a genius. I believe that he killed people not for entertainment. It's not logical."

"We're humans, Nate. He's human, I'm human, you're human. We're not always logical. We have emotions."

"Emotions..." Nate trailed off. Mello felt something wrong with him, but remained silent.

"Then tell me, Mello. What's your motivation?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity. You said that we're humans, Mello, and humans are always curious."

"Smartass. I have many, but the most important one is my chocolate." The blonde smirked.

"Very funny..." The white-haired boy murmured. That made Mello laughed.

"Now tell me, Nate. What's your motivation?"

"Why do you care?" Nate smiled slightly.

"Curiosity." Mello smiled back at him.

They spent all day drinking and talking about psychology, politics, criminology, cases,...things like that. Mello felt like he could tell Nate anything. For the first time in a long, long, long time, he didn't have to dump the conversation. He couldn't remember the last time he had an intelligent conversation.

After having dinner out, they went home. Now, each of them was standing in front of their apartment's door.

"Hey Nate?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks. Today was a great day."

"Indeed. And I thank you, too."

They didn't know what else to say, just looking into each other's eyes. Deep grey orbs locked with fierce blue orbs for good two minutes. Finally, Nate broke the silence.

"Good night, Mello." He said softly, then opened his door and came inside. Mello continued to stared at Nate's closed door.

"Good night, Nate." He whispered to himself before going in his own apartment. That night, Mello slept well, he even smiled in his sleep. He felt completed.

Nate was complicate. Nate still made him confused, but now, Mello didn't mind anymore.

After all, he always liked complications.

TO BE CONTINUED

 **A/U: love/hate? I want to hear your opinions, my friends :)))**


	3. Chapter 3

Nate was sitting on the floor, playing with his completely blank puzzle. Surrounding him were his toy robots, action figures, cards, dice,... Today was Sunday and he had nothing to do. Nate couldn't go outside because it was hot as hell. It's like the distance between the sun and the earth had been shortened, and he's an albino. Plus, he wasn't in the mood to meet anyone.

 **KNOCK KNOCK!**

Great. Just great. Sighing, Nate slowly stood up and opened the door, revealed a mischievous blonde.

"Hey Nate." Mello greeted him, smirking. Nate could see a chocolate bar in his pocket.

"Mello..."

"Can I come in?" He entered the albino's apartment, didn't wait for permission. Nate was too bored and tired to protest anyway, so he let his neighbour. Mello was now standing in the middle of the living room, observing while munching his Hershey.

"You sure do love white, huh?" He smirked at the white-haired boy a moment later. True. Nate's apartment's completely white: white walls, white sofa, white table, white rug,... Hell, even its owner was white. But, the room was colourful at the same time because of Nate's toys: Lego, Transformers, actions figures, race cars,...

"Dude, you could make your house a toy store. You have a toy-fetish or something like that?" Mello commented but Nate remained silent.

"Why did you spend so much time in these things?" Said the blonde while staring at one of Nate's building, which was made of dice.

"It helps me think." Nate replied softly, twirling a white lock with his hand.

"What? You are a investigator?"

"Kinda."

"Nice. You can help me with my cases, then."

"..."

"So, where do you keep your papers? Let me guess, in that closed room, which I assume is your bedroom..." Man, that blonde must had eaten a lot of chocolate.

"Mello, why are you here?" Nate sighed, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm bored."

"You came here for entertainment." The younger male stated in monotone.

"Bingo."

"Then I must say I'm sorry. I don't think that there's anything here can entertain you."

"Nah. You are _entertaining_ enough, despite your monotonous appearance."

"...I'll take that as a compliment..."

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From then, Mello would come to Nate's apartment every Sunday: playing with Nate's toys, watching movie, talking,... Strangely, he enjoyed Nate's company, although they were quite polar opposite: black and white, fire and ice,... Nate was calm, quiet, stoic. He always used his head, never let emotions get in his way. Mello found Nate freakishly smart, TOO smart. Whenever the blonde looked at Nate, he felt suspicious. There's something fishy about the younger male. But for some unknown reasons, Mello would always shrug it off.

 **A/N: yeah, it's short. I'm not good at writing :((. Anyway, please review :)))**


	4. Chapter 4

**KNOCK KNOCK!**

"The door is unlocked, Mello." Nate said while crouching on the floor, building a tower of matches. He expected Mello to burst the door open like always, but strangely, he just heard a creak. Nate turned his head and saw an unusually-uncheerful-blonde. Despite his curiosity, Nate remained indifferent. He stood up, took out a chocolate bar from a near cabinet and handed it to Mello. He had stored chocolates to calm Mello down whenever the blonde snapped, which he usually did. But Nate doubted that even Willy Wonka could satisfy the chocoholic.

"Thanks." He took the bar and tore the silver wrapper, but didn't eat the treat, yet. Yes, something was definitely off, Nate was sure.

"You're upset." A statement.

"Am I? It's just...I...AGH! THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE WITH HIS OH SO FUCKING BIG HEAD AND HIS FUCKING IDENTITY!" Mello took out a newspaper from nowhere and threw it away, munching his Hershey furiously. Nate slowly picked it up and read it. After that, he remained silent, gazing at Mello with his unreadable eyes. The blonde kept ranting, and Nate just standing there, listening.

"It's been two months, Nate. TWO MONTHS! And I still don't know who he is. I can't just let him take my spot so easily. I've been working too hard, for God's sake! He just, BOOM, appeared and 'Hey, your victory is mine now.'. I mean, the HELL!" Mello paid no attention to Nate, who was staring at him with somewhat uneasy eyes.

"Mello, please cal-"

"Beside, why does he have to keep his fucking identity in secret? What, he's too good, too high and almighty for everyone? Does he think that no one deserves to see his ugly face?" Said the blonde.

"Mello, please calm down. He's not the only detective who prefers hiding his face, you know. Plus, personal informations are very important. Criminals can use those informations to threaten them. Not everyone is strong enough to protect themselves. You can't trust anyone." Nate said softly.

"What, you mean that he's too coward? Yeah, makes sense, what a detective he is." The older male sneered.

"Everyone has a reason, Mello. Beside, you save people's life and that's is the point. Why is being first so important to you?" The albino questioned, monotonous.

"You don't understand, Nate. I promised hi-" Mello suddenly cut himself off, his azure eyes staring at nowhere. It's like his body was here, but his soul was lost in some memories.

"Mello?"

"Never mind. Just forget it." The blonde sighed. "Wanna watch 'Predestination'?".

"Sure." Despite his curiosity, Nate didn't questioned Mello anymore, decided that it was for the best. After all, he couldn't spend all his money on Hershey.

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Mello was walking home. He'd just left the supermarket after buying a bunch of Hersheys (easy to guess) and M&Ms. And then, he spot a young male, maybe around his own age, standing in front of Nate's apartment, banging loudly on the closed door. What a weirdo, Mello thought: he had red hair (literally), a black and white stripe T-shirt, a furry coat, and orange GOGGLES. GOGGLES!

"OY! ARE YOU HOME? HELLO?" The redhead shouted. "Damn, I forgot my phone..." He murmured.

"Hey, who are you?" Mello had approached the weird guy.

"Oh hey, I'm Matt. Do you know Near, the one who lives here? You know, curly white hair, white pyjamas, pale skin, grey eyes,..." His body smelled like cigarette.

"Ah, you mean Nate- Wait, what?" Mello froze, but Matt seemed to be uncaring.

"Near, Nate, all the same. I'm his friend, well, acquaintance to be exact. I'm good at technology, so he had me hack into the police's computer for information about some cases. Being a detective, it's kinda busy, you know." Matt chuckled. "Anyway, I'm here to bring him his new case, but looks like today isn't my lucky day. So, send him this for me, kay? Kay. Bye!" After handing Mello the thick brown envelope, Matt took out a PSP from nowhere and left. The blonde still standing there, too shocked to react or say anything.

 **A/N: what do you think? Review please, don't ignore me like that :)))**


	5. Chapter 5

**KNOCK KNOCK!**

"Come in, Mello." Nate said indifferently while reading 'Sherlock Homes'. The door creak opened.

Silence.

Nate finally put the book down on the table and turned his head, only to find a certain blonde, who was clutching a brown envelope. For the first time since he met Mello, Nate couldn't decipher his expression. Though Nate had never believed in sixth sense, he could tell what's going to happen.

They just standing there, calculating, observing, looking at each other...

Waiting...

Finally, Mello was the one who broke that uncomfortable silence.

"So, your _acquaintance_ , Matt, had me give you this, _Near._ " The blonde said quietly, stressed on the alias. Nate remained silent, gazing intently at the envelope, then at the fierce ocean-blue orbs. He had expected an explosion, but then again, he had to remind himself that Mello'd never been predictable, thanks to the blonde's unpredictable-pattern-of-emotions. Nate slowly took the brown-thing from Mello's hand, their eyes still locked.

"Let's be honest, Nate, why?" Mello said in unbelievably calm voice.

"...I know that you'll be upset..." Nate whispered.

"What, so you decided to keep secret from me, even when you knew that how hard I've tried, how hard I've been working, after all those things I told you?"

"Mello, I-..."

"Do you know what it feels like, the one you've been looking for for months is your fucking neighbour? And I thought we're FRIENDS!"

Nate froze for a moment. _Friends?_ He couldn't remember anyone had ever spent time with him, let alone seen him as a friend. All the people he had met before, to him, were just acquaintances, co-workers,...

Except Mello...

"Just...stay out of my way, Nate...You will never understand, anyway. You're emotionless." The blonde immediately regretted stating the last part. He saw a slight sorrow in the boy's onyx eyes, but it disappeared in no time. But instead of apologising, he put his hand on the doorknob, ready to leave.

"You know, you are my first true friend, Mihael..." All of sudden, Nate said softly, his words were almost inaudible.

This time, it was Mello who froze.

The way Nate spoke his name, his _real_ name...

 _...my first true friend..._

Without a word, the blonde slammed the door behind him.

Why did Nate's tone have to be emotional this time, this first time since Mello met the albino? Why did Mello feel so empty? Why didn't he teach Nate a lesson like he promised himself? Why did he feel so sad? Why didn't Nate trust him enough to tell him, after 2 months, after all the things they had done together? Why the hell did he care about Nate trusting him or not?

No...

 _Why did Nate have to be that person?_

Running a hand through his blond hair, Mello entered his apartment.

After Mello's leaving, the albino still standing there in the living room, left hand clutching the envelope, eyes on the closed door.

"Damn you Matt..." he sighed, right hand started twirling a colourless strand.

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It feels awkward, Nate thought, seeing Mello every morning when they left their own apartment but without a 'Hey Nate' and a 'Good morning Mello'. Since _that day,_ the blonde would always send him a death glare. No more intelligent conversation, no more movie Sunday, no more drinking-at-the Laura-together. Nate felt weird and normal at the same time: weird because he enjoyed Mello's company, normal because he'd been lonely for almost 20 years... So long that Nate couldn't remember exactly when.

The albino could see those big bags under Mello's blue eyes whenever they met. Mello was indeed working very hard in order to beat Nate. He stepped out of his apartment less and less, and when he did, it's just for chocolate and groceries. Sometimes, Nate wanted to knock at his neighbour's door, to talk with him, to be friends with him once again, but he decided to leave Mello some alone times. Beside, Nate was sure that the blonde wanted nothing to do with him.

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The albino was sitting in the middle of the living room, one leg up to his chest, right hand twirling a silver lock, left hand holding a pair of dice. Papers, files surrounded him. Nate'd been thinking hard about the case Matt sent him for an hour.

Nine scientists had been found killed in a abandoned two storey building. Yes, nine deaths in just 3 weeks, respectively but at the same place. The cause of each death was different from others: throat slitting, chest stabbing, skull hammering,... in short: truly brutal. The police couldn't point out any suspect. The crime...was committed perfectly. No fingerprints, no witnesses, no clear motivations so far,...nothing.

There'll be no more victim, not when Nate was in.

He had his pride, he had his confidence, and this puzzle would be solved. He guaranteed.

But first, he needed some backup. This case wasn't simple.

So, Nate took out his phone, and dialed.

 _One_

 _Two_

 _Thr-_

"Yo."

"Matt, could you do me a favour?" Nate began, ignoring the annoying sound came from the redhead's PSP. "About the case you sent me, I believe that I need more information, umh, the underworld-kind-of information, you know. Because you are better than me at this, could you-"

"Sorry dude, I've had another business, you know. You're not the only one who need my computer skill." Matt cut him off. Nate sighed slightly.

"I'm sorry. You could find someone else, you know..." the gamer had turned off his PSP.

"No, it's alright. Goodbye, Matt."

Nate exhaled again, wondering why he was an anti-social. Who else could help him? Who was smart and good at these kind of thing?

Then 'click'.

 _You've got to be kidding me._

A few minutes later, Nate was standing in front of Mello's door. He took a deep breath.

 **KNOCK KNOCK.**

Nate could hear some cusses and murmurs, before the door was flung opened, revealed a certain grumpy blonde. Mello looked like he was going to kill whoever had dared disturb him, until he realized that it was the albino. They just stared at each other with uneasy gaze.

"What?" Eventually, Mello asked bluntly.

"Mello, I need your assistance with a case."

"Oh, wow." The blonde sneered. "Almighty and talented Near needs help, huh?"

"Yes."

"This is your way of mocking me, isn't it?"

"Mello, I assure you that-"

"Fuck off, Nate! Why should I help you, anyway? You're my rival!"

"Mello, Mello..."

"Don't. You. Dare. Rhyme. My. Name. Like. That."

"Innocent people are being killed, Mello. I can't believe that a famous detective like you can stand and watch it happens."

Bullseye! Nate smirked internally.

"YOU-! Fine! But you fucker owe me Lindt, a lot!"

"Definitely." Nate smiled slightly. He always get whatever he wanted.

TO BE CONTINUED

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 **A/N: Wow. That took forever. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry guys! I haven't updated for awhile. I was so busy: school, exams,...**

 **Anyway, here's chapter 6. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Both of them were in Nate's living room, facing their laptops: Nate crouching on the wooden floor and Mello sprawling comfortably on the white sofa. After _that_ incident, they'd decided to minimise talking to each other unless it was something important. They had never tried to start a conversation if they didn't want to, anyway.

But back to the main topic.

"Mello." Nate began, monotonous like always.

"What?" The blonde grumbled, breaking a corner of the Meiji with his teeth.

"The scene of crime was a laboratory, owned by the nine victims. When they were students, they made a team, contributed money to that place along with their research. They became famous after graduation thanks to an environmental project." Nate read from the screen. "Tha lab was burned formidably five years ago because of gas-leaking. There's nothing left but ashes but those nine had managed to escape. The cops couldn't fine any corpse or body so they concluded that no one died. But the problem is..." He trailed off. Mello waited for him to finish while himself was searching in some deep websites.

"...that event happened before they became famous..."

"Hm..."

"Your opinion, Mello?"

"I don't know but I smell something fishy here." The blonde threw the silver wrapper, aimed at the rubbish bin in the corner, but he missed. He murmured a cuss under his breath.

"I agree."

Silence filled the room.

"Mello, have you found anything else so far?" Nate spoke softly.

"Uh, no. What do you think? I don't have a _good-at-hacking-_ _acquaintance_ to bring me the information like somebody!" Said the angry blonde, his voice full of sarcasm.

"Mello..." Nate wanted to say something, but then decided to keep silence and turn back to the laptop before him.

 _Your priority is the case...Your priority is the case..._ He reminded himself.

They kept working like that in the next two weeks. Sometime, Mello went out to gather more information from God-know-where. And Nate, being an antisocial albino he was, just stayed at home, eyes glued to the screen, reading anything that they currently had.

Anyway...

One Saturday night, Mello returned home (well, to be exact, Nate's apartment) after a long day of investigating. He had to tell Nate an important new. Hell, he still refused to refer to Nate as 'Near', despite Nate calling him 'Mello'. It was his rival's alias, not some kind of friendly nickname.

Mello turned the knob.

"Oi Nate, I-" He shut his mouth as soon as the sight before him came into view: a white figure sleeping soundly on the floor, curling up into a fetal-way. His laptop was still on, papers and Transformers surrounding his sleeping form like some kind of protection.

 _Of course._ Mello should have known. He tried to remember whenever Nate did sleep properly since they worked together. Conclusion: nah, he recalled nothing. He was going to violently wake Nate up and make a sarcastic speech about how irresponsible the younger male was.

But no. Mello found himself silently closed the door, and as gentle as ever, picked the small albino up, carried him bridal-style. He then lied Nate on the white bed in his white bedroom, while taking in the surroundings. There was a white bookshelf with Psychology, Biology, Organic Chemistry and some thrillers on it. Bedside that, the only source of colour in here is Nate's toys: Lego cities, action figures, jigsaw puzzles, darts, crafting tools, Tarot cards, cars, robots,... Mello was impressed by the details in the unfinished city.

Childish. Too childish. Beyond childish for a 23 year old. And he was not just a regular 23 year old. A well-known detective.

But apparently, those toys had been, were and are Nate's only companions, maybe only friends. Mello hadn't seen a Nate without toys before. He almost always had something in his palm to play with. They didn't just help Nate to think and collect his thought. For an antisocial boy, they were something for Nate to hold on to.

Somehow, it's kinda lonely.

 _Does Nate feel lonely?_

At the thought, Mello looked at the slumberous boy. He had big round black bags under his closed eyes, indicated that he hadn't rested for ages. A wave of nostalgia shot through the blonde. Nate looked so much like _him._

Mello had always seen the albino put on the blank face. He was always so stoic, logical, emotionless,... Even when he didn't work, he's still rational, never let feelings get in his way. But now, Nate looked younger, peaceful, innocent and vulnerable. His chest slowly rise and fell, a sigh escaped his slightly parted lips now and then.

Mello reached out. He wanted to touch Nate's face, to trace his thumb on Nate's alabaster cheeks and soft-looking lips. But he stopped his hand in the mid-air. Hesitantly, Mello brushed a few white locks out of Nate's closed eyes and buried his hand in the snowy hair for a moment. A gentle smile crept on the chocoholic's face.

Mello stayed awake like that through the silent night, sitting beside Nate on the bed, watching him sleep, and every so often playing with Nate's hair to feel those silky locks in his tan hand.

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Nate groaned inaudibly. He could feel the comfortable mattress beneath him and-

Wait, what!?

How did he end up on his bed? How long had he slept?

He opened his eyes and was greeted with a pair of warm blue orbs.

"Hey Near..." Mello said softly, staring at Nate's deep grey (and still foggy from sleep) orbs.

"Mello?" Nate whispered. Did Mello just call him 'Near'? Beside that, the blonde's voice held no anger, no hatred, no malice. Instead, he looked calm, content and...somewhat happy. And why was Mello in here?

"Come on, it's 9a.m. Let's go to The Laura." With that, Mello left his room, Hershey in hand.

Nate still sitting on his bed, dazed and confused. But eventually...

"Okay." He smiled, ever so lightly.

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 **A/N: We're getting somewhere (hint hint)! Some reviews would be great. I'll try my best to improve the story and grammar :3 :3. Please wait for the next chapter XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**It has been...umh...I don't know, like forever since my last update. My apologies, mates. I have to go to the college this year, and I'm drowned in exhaustion T-T. But I'll try my best to update.**

 **So here we go! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Mello kept asking himself a question over and over: Why the hell had he been watching Near sleep, stroking his hair, and staring at his peaceful face throughout the previous night like there was no tomorrow?! _Think, THINK, Mihael Keehl! Why?_

"Mello?" Near's soft voice made him snap out of his thoughts. Said male was looking at him with curiosity in his onyx eyes. They were sitting at their usual table in The Laura.

"What, Near?" The blonde asked absently. Near took a sip of his mint-flavoured black tea, seemed to be completely content.

"You were staring."

"No I'm not." Mello fighted the red that threaten to rose his cheeks. _Be cool, Keehl, be cool._

"Your drink is untouched." Near pointed out.

"No it's not..." he calmly took a huge gulp of his (predictably) hot chocolate with marshmallow. The white-haired boy sighed.

"So what do you want to show me?" Near asked.

"Oh yeah." Mello smirked. "They had ten people." The younger's eyes widened though he'd tried not to.

"What?"

"Ten scientists, that team, you know." The blonde repeated, withdrew some papers from his tight leather vest and gave it to Near. "Read this first."

On the paper, beside the nine victims names, there was an unfamiliar one... The tenth name.

Johnson Teach.

"This is from one of nine victims computer. Don't give me that look! I'm quite good at hacking too, you know." Mello scowled. It's not like Near doubt his partner's ability, but nonetheless, he chose to keep silence and continued to listen to the blonde. Mello pointed at the aforementioned name: "From what I've investigated, this guy was an orphan. He had no relative, no close friend, or friend beside his team. His classmates knew verry little about him because he's a private person. Like he was invisible to most people, you know. That's why when the lab was burnt down, there was no one to witness his existence or his survival." Realization hit Near.

"But since the police couldn't find any corpse or bones, that means the victims had lied..." said the younger male. Mello nodded.

"And that also means there's a possibility..."

"That Johnson is still alive and he has killed them!" They said in unison.

Silence.

"The fire happened before they graduated..." Near thought out loud.

"And right after graduation, they became famous..."

"Although this sounds unbelievable, but I can't think of anything else possible..." Near muttered. "There's seventy nine percent that that project wasn't theirs, but Johnson's..."

"If that so, he must have killed them in revenge."

"Unfortunately, we don't have enough evidences to prove our theory..." the younger male mused, using his index finger and thumb to twirl a snowy strand, deep in thought.

"And the damn police hasn't had or informed us anything for two months."

Silence.

"I think that we need to make our move, in another word: break into that building." Near suggested suddenly. Mello was shock, but a sly grin soon broke on his face.

"Never thought that you have it in you."

"So I've heard." The white haired male shrugged nonchalantly.

"My my, the perfect detective is breaking the law." The blonde took a sip.

"Mello, you know that both of us have already break the law just by hacking into people's computer." Near pointed out.

"Yeah, true." Mello murmured. "So what's the plan?"

1313131313

Finding black clothes to wear wasn't a problem: Mello had a bunch of those. However, he'd never seen Near wear anything but white pyjamas. _Wonder how he looks_ , the blonde mused, then immediately scolded, _Not that I care._

And right at that moment, Near stepped out from his apartment, dressed in a black hoodie, black jeans and a pair of black fake Converse. He looked unfamiliar, yet very Near-like at the same time: black, but just bland black, no decoration, no pattern and he still possessed the whiteness he'd always had. The dark clothes made his snowy hair more stood out.

He looked...surreal, almost angelic.

"Nice outfits." Mello commented, smirking.

"I'm sure that you've already seen these by reading newspaper." Near responded, lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"...Shut up..." The blonde muttered, tossed a black helmet at his younger companion. Said boy caught it in time, staring at it for a moment before he hesitantly asked :"Are we gonna use your bike?"

"Yep." Mello could spot Near's nervousness. "What's with that?". The albino brought a hand up to twirl his white strand.

"It's a deadly transport, from what I know and saw. Besides, I've never ridden a motor cycle."

"Firstly, you're not the one to ride because I definitely will do it. Secondly, I've never dropped anyone dead before. Lastly, you have no other choice since we couldn't call a cab in this situation. And not to mention that you can't walk 10 kilometres in 30 minutes, considering your health." With that, he get on his shiny vehicle and started the engine. Near just stood there, stared, and stared before reluctantly climbing up behind Mello, wrapping his thin arms around the older male's waist. He instantly sped up, making Near tighten his grip. At this, Mello smiled and took pity on the boy. He slowed down but still fast enough to feel the other's heartbeat against his back.

13131313

"It looks normal than I thought." Near commented, staring at the building before them.

"Looks like shit to me." Mello took out two flashlights and handed one to his companion.

"Shall we come in?"

"Yeah."

TO BE CONTINUED

 **A/N: love? Hate? Grammatical errors? Please leave some reviews and share your thoughts :)))**


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